The Beechcraft King Air series has its roots in the Twin Bonanza of 1951. That aircraft model was enlarged and re-engined to become the Model 65 Queen Air. The Queen Air design changed to incorporate a swept tail and pressurization. With the addition of Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines, the Queen Air became the Model 90 King Air. The King Air 90 led to the stretched King Air 100, which in turn had a T-Tail added to become the
King Air 200. Increased gross weights and more powerful PT6A-60A engines made the King Air 200 into a King Air 300. A stretch to the fuselage added more room and the 300 became the King Air 350 (technically, the model B300).
The 350’s roomy cabin seats eight and has an aft-lavatory. The cabin is not round and is shaped more like a loaf of bread, which gives passengers more shoulder room.
While the King Air 300 never outsold the B200, the 350 offers enough extra room, payload and power to make it an attractive step up from the B200. Certified in 1989, the King Air 350 continues in production to this day. A cargo door is also available on the King Air 350.
The King Air 350ER was originally developed for the U.S. military as a special missions aircraft. The development included an increased fuel capacity of 236 U.S. gallons/1,581 pounds, allowing an additional 800 nautical miles plus of range, and a increased gross weight versus the standard King Air 350.
The King Air 350i features a new cabin including the new Collins Venue cabin management system (CMS). The Venue CMS allows the passengers to watch Blu-ray movies or to deliver presentations in the cabin.